Diesel Vectra tries to fire, all lights on dash come on as normal but instead of starting theres a whirring noise and it wont start?

Starter motor? Or poor earth connection

Does it sound like normal engine starting at any point or is it just a continuous whir when you turn the key?

Given time of year start with basics.

Does the battery have charge

I’ve seen this before on Vauxhalls when the battery starts dying, do the speedo and rev counter needles jump around too?

Everything is exactly as it normally is until I try to start?

Battery is a good place. How old is it? To me it’s a ‘cheap’ fix to replace if it’s old or if the car is relatively new to you. When my Forester one went it didn’t even have the symptoms of a dead battery (no clicks, no lights coming on. Nothing). Taxi to Halfords and back and bingo!

You could recharge it but how long would it last.

Rock it back and forward in 3rd or 4th gear then try again, do starters still stick these days?!

Classic Dead battery. Provides enough grunt for lights etc. Dies when you put a load on it.

A loud whirring? Does sound starter motor related. Either weak battery or dodgy motor. Could be a stuck solenoid. Try giving the starter motor a whack. If you have an assistant get them to whack it while you turn it over

I’ve seen this before on Vauxhalls when the battery starts dying, do the speedo and rev counter needles jump around too?

My old Mazda 6 diesel did this too. Now that the temperature is dropping batteries that are past their best are starting to struggle. The glow plugs on diesels draw loads of current, so there may not be enough power in the battery to heat the glow plugs and turn the starter. Can you try and get a jump start or charge the battery?

That’s great, thanks everyone.

So looking like Battery/Starter Motor then? Doesn’t sound like a massive expense? Could really do without it as I’m on a training wage at the moment.

sounds like a classic dying battery. try and source / fit one yourself from a local motor factors if money is an issue. i would guess around £60 but its a while since i have had to buy one

The cars parked a bit from home, what would you do to just get it home/get it going for a few days?

As said, possibly battery. On more than one occasion I’ve had the earth strap which joins the engine to the bodywork wear out and fray due to engine movement. Have a look.

I’d try jump starting or bump starting it with another car

If that worked I’d be off to buy a new battery

Even if it starts with the current battery your only going to have it fail at a more inconvenient time.

Belting, cheers everyone.

£60 for a battery. Look for your nearest Eurocarparts etc. It’s easy to swap out. Plus if it is an old battery. Even if you jump it etc – winter/cold starts will put a strain on it. Fancy that again this winter? Starter motor or alternator would be rarer imo

Just had a look, Euro Car Parts have got 30% off everything so click and collect for £60. Bonus!

Schweet. Tbh £60 is alot of money in anyone’s book but tbh if it stops hours of sat at the trailhead waiting to go home or phoning your boss saying ‘sorry mate’.

If you wanted to diagnose another problem you’d need to get it to a garage and etc diagnosis costs anyway. You OK fitting? Plenty of guides.

If you cannot get to the factors, or find one for £40 on ebay try taking the battery inside overnight.
Do you access to a trickle charger? or in fact any charger
Get a bump start short term, get battery out of car and charge it .
Or , Get a bump start drive around for a while to charge then keep it next to a rad indoors overnight

However , if its a loud whirring it still might be starter motor failing to engage the ring gear. Solenoids tend to clickety clack or do nothing as a solenoid is a powered switch. The starter might be pre -engaged so at engine off the cogs are meshed together, then on start up the cogs disengage
Or the strter motor throws a cog up a rifled spindle to engage with the teeth on the flywheel/.If this is damage or the rifling full of crap then a whirrring is all you get.

Local tyre fitters will have a batttery tester , grab some biccys and ask them to run the tester over over battery for amps, not volts.

Just to put a bit of a downer on things another reason for the engine sounding different when you are trying to start it is because the cam belt has gone – bent valves means no compression so the engine turns easier. I don’t know if this particular car has a cam belt though.
Its probably the battery!

i wouldnt blindly put a new battery in it …. even if all signs point to that.

might be 60 quid down the drain…..

parts cannon is NEVER the way to go.

Even if it’s a 5yr old+ battery?
How else do you get it to a garage?
What if you spend money on getting the battery juiced up. Charge it. Then it fails again mid winter proper?
Take it to the garage and they do the whole parts cannon thing on you? ‘Mate we replaced your alternator and battery’ and here’s the Labour and vat bill.
A new battery is never wasted money. Batteries have a finite lifespan.

It probably is the battery – but definitely try jump starting it first – then at least you will know its the battery.
Failing that a multimeter or OBDII should diagnose it easily enough.

A lot of ATS/Kwikfit type places will carry out a free battery check. Make sure you read your car distructions regarding jump starting as some have specific methods of doing so.

Tried jumpstarting-no luck. Worried now!

Take the oil filler cap off, try and start it and see if you can see the cam shafts turning. Its not a given that if they turn the belt is okay but its a good check.

Take the battery out and taxi to Halfords etc. They can test it. Battery low or dead- new battery. Battery full of life – something else.

Why has no one mentioned glow plugs?

Why has no one mentioned glow plugs?

because it doesnt sound like its turning over.

If it wont start with a jump, it sounds like a bad starter motor. As others have said, try giving the starter a couple of decent whacks whilst the car car is in gear, preferably whilst attempting to be started, Also, if the starter has actually stuck, that chances are that the battery might be VERY low/dead, so a lot of revving from the jumpstarting/assistant car may be required.

Hora a battery is wasted money if the car still doesn’t start.

A multi Meter over the terminals would tell me more but i doubt the op has one.

Cough, taxi to Halfords cough. (Rolls eyes)

My Mazda wouldn’t start with a jump start from a mates Frontera diesel, but did with a jump start from a recovery truck! I think it was due to my jump leads not being the best (although they’ve worked on numerous other cars). Diesels draw loads of power on start up. Is there any chance you could put a known good battery in your car?

Right

Lights on try n start it…does that cause your lights to dim?

Put new battery in, no different (no £££ lost because of euro car parts returns policy)

Father in law tried giving the starter motor a tap and all that did was stop the ‘whirring’ and still no start!

Sounds like starters banjod then .

Good shout on. Ecp returns policy for testing.